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Topic: The Future of Star Wars Collecting? (Read 96650 times)

I'm thinking the opposite. Are the toys cheap? Yes, but so are the prices, and I'm thinking $30 for a giant tank with a few army figures is going to be a better buy for parents than a $50 Star Wars vehicle or a non-existent $7 figure line

Penny's was the place for toys back in the day. I remember the WALL of SW stuff around the time of Empire. Penny's was the first place I remember seeing the Dinobots. Picked up the DROIDS and EWOKS figs there on blowout for like 90 cents.

I keep pondering the future myself. Although I'm enjoying the Rouge One product, I feel like the 5POA line is a step backwards and my enthusiasm has waned. I didn't even open most of TFA product. 3.75 in SA articulation is where my heart is and will always be. I'll snatch up everything in that line for also long as Hasbro makes it.

6 inch? I regret ever having started. It's nice, but it just doesn't fit into my collecting universe and in a lot of ways, I feel like we're starting collecting all over, especially with the vintage packaging coming out. I'd much rather have all that in 3.75 inch form.

6 inch? I regret ever having started. It's nice, but it just doesn't fit into my collecting universe and in a lot of ways, I feel like we're starting collecting all over, especially with the vintage packaging coming out. I'd much rather have all that in 3.75 inch form.

I agree 100%. I decided for some reason to collect the 6" TFA figures. I don't know why, I just did. Thankfully, I was able to limit myself there - I didn't grab any RO 6" figures and I will not be getting any 6" figures from The Last Jedi.

I'm getting into a phase where I'd much rather have Lego anyway, so less $$$ spent on Hasbro means more $$$ to spend on Lego.

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Peter

Letting my collecting OCD get the better of me on a DAILY basis... and loving EVERY minute of it!

6 inch? I regret ever having started. It's nice, but it just doesn't fit into my collecting universe and in a lot of ways, I feel like we're starting collecting all over, especially with the vintage packaging coming out. I'd much rather have all that in 3.75 inch form.

The old proverb says 'no matter how far you have traveled down the wrong road, turn back.'

I started with the 6" stuff too, OT only. Then about 35 figures in I decided I was out. I found a buyer on Rebelscum that gave me about $20 each for them and I cashed out. No regrets.

All they are is bigger versions of something I've already got a massive collection of... I just couldn't see the point anymore. It's not like I have tons of space.

The 6" line is it's own thing. I got into it on the ground floor, and I think it's pretty apparent that this is the direction that Hasbro wants to take the collector focused line. Either collectors will accept it or move on. I also think that Hasbro saw the way the action figure segment of the business was moving towards 6" figures. Look at so many other licenses, and the dominant scale was 6" figures. I think bringing Star Wars to that scale drew in collectors who had more of an interest in 6" scale figures. I think that's also what opened up retail opportunities like getting into chains like Gamestop.

I like what they've done with the figures, and I appreciate that Hasbro's approach with them was to present the best possible version of that character from a particular setting. There's none of this gradual evolution of a character that we saw in the 3.75" figure line. One example that really came to mind was when Hasbro rolled out the Saga line that supported the release of ATTACK OF THE CLONES. There was this progression of Obi-Wan Kenobi figures that started out really lame. And with every release they got a little bit better. But they never got really good very fast. Hasbro would get you to buy about 5 or 6 versions of Obi-Wan in AOTC before they finally got you a version that was pretty good. But with the 6" Black Series? There's been none of that noise. There's ANH Han Solo, and that's it. It may get repackaged a couple of times, but it's the same figure.

However, I think that the $20 price point has limited how wide of a net Hasbro can cast. I don't think you're ever going to get the diversity of characters in the 6" figure line that we got from the 3.75" figure line. If we get 6 x waves of 3 or 4 figures each? Those action figure slots are just too limited to spend on a character like an Imperial Officer from TESB versus one from ANH versus another from ROTJ.

And on a similar front, I think that the days of offering up every obscure character from a setting like the Cantina or Jabba's Palace may be fleeting with the 3.75" figure line. I just don't think Hasbro can pump out 60+ x 3.75" figures a year anymore, and the joke about "Cantina Alien #37" seems like it's just not in the cards anymore. Especially with Disney pumping out a new movie every year, and the corresponding action figure line to support that theatrical release. I think that will be directing Hasbro's focus.

I'm thinking the opposite. Are the toys cheap? Yes, but so are the prices, and I'm thinking $30 for a giant tank with a few army figures is going to be a better buy for parents than a $50 Star Wars vehicle or a non-existent $7 figure line

Agreed... and at all the Walmarts around here, the Kong toys are selling like crazy, and keep getting restocked.

The 6" line is it's own thing. I got into it on the ground floor, and I think it's pretty apparent that this is the direction that Hasbro wants to take the collector focused line. Either collectors will accept it or move on. I also think that Hasbro saw the way the action figure segment of the business was moving towards 6" figures. Look at so many other licenses, and the dominant scale was 6" figures. I think bringing Star Wars to that scale drew in collectors who had more of an interest in 6" scale figures. I think that's also what opened up retail opportunities like getting into chains like Gamestop.

I like what they've done with the figures, and I appreciate that Hasbro's approach with them was to present the best possible version of that character from a particular setting. There's none of this gradual evolution of a character that we saw in the 3.75" figure line. One example that really came to mind was when Hasbro rolled out the Saga line that supported the release of ATTACK OF THE CLONES. There was this progression of Obi-Wan Kenobi figures that started out really lame. And with every release they got a little bit better. But they never got really good very fast. Hasbro would get you to buy about 5 or 6 versions of Obi-Wan in AOTC before they finally got you a version that was pretty good. But with the 6" Black Series? There's been none of that noise. There's ANH Han Solo, and that's it. It may get repackaged a couple of times, but it's the same figure.

However, I think that the $20 price point has limited how wide of a net Hasbro can cast. I don't think you're ever going to get the diversity of characters in the 6" figure line that we got from the 3.75" figure line. If we get 6 x waves of 3 or 4 figures each? Those action figure slots are just too limited to spend on a character like an Imperial Officer from TESB versus one from ANH versus another from ROTJ.

And on a similar front, I think that the days of offering up every obscure character from a setting like the Cantina or Jabba's Palace may be fleeting with the 3.75" figure line. I just don't think Hasbro can pump out 60+ x 3.75" figures a year anymore, and the joke about "Cantina Alien #37" seems like it's just not in the cards anymore. Especially with Disney pumping out a new movie every year, and the corresponding action figure line to support that theatrical release. I think that will be directing Hasbro's focus.